


In This Together

by Hazzaandloubearforever



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Comforting Zayn, Fluffy, I enjoyed writing this one, M/M, Mpreg, Scared Niall, ziall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-01-27 02:03:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1710953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazzaandloubearforever/pseuds/Hazzaandloubearforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pregnant. That eight letter word mocked the Irish man as he stared at the blue and white stick between his pale fingers. The blonde lad was thoroughly screwed. Neither he nor Zayn were ready for a baby. Hell, they just began their "Where We Are" tour, not to mention they had been dating only a few months. A baby would only make matters worse. This had to be a mistake; Niall wasn't pregnant</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In this Together

Pregnant. That eight letter word mocked the Irish man as he stared at the blue and white stick between his pale fingers. The blonde lad was thoroughly screwed. Neither he nor Zayn were ready for a baby. Hell, they just began their "Where We Are" tour, not to mention they had been dating only a few months. A baby would only make matters worse. This had to be a mistake; Niall wasn't pregnant. The slight bump that replaced his flat, toned belly was surely a food baby...right? Not a living, breathing human? Niall wasn't pregnant. Except that he was.  
All this turmoil made Niall's stomach churn, causing him to drop to his knees and empty the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl. The Irish lad groaned as he leaned against the wall of the tub, shaky fingers coming to rest over the tiny bump. "How are we gonna tell your daddy, little one?" the blonde-haired man whispered before he realized he was talking to nothing and dropped his hand. Nothing was there. He didn't want to believe him and Zayn had created another life. Niall's first dilemma was facing his boyfriend. He and Zayn had only been together for four months and though the couple were inseparable, having a baby now was far too early for their relationship.

"Ni?" came a husky voice from the other side of the door. "Babe, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Niall called back, flushing the contents away and standing up just as the door opened.

Zayn furrowed his brows when he noticed his boyfriend paler than usual, cheeks slightly flushed and eyes misted over. "You don't look alright," the brown-eyed man sighed, placing the back of his hand to his lover's forehead, checking for a fever. "Are you sick, love? You feel a little warm."

 _Yeah, I'll be sick for the next nine months,_ the Irish man thought to himself. Niall shook his head, curling his fingers around Zayn's hand and pulled it away from his forehead to press a light kiss to his knuckles."I'm fine, Z, there's nothing to worry about."

Zayn wanted to believe the younger lad but the concern he had for his boyfriend outweighed the belief. "Right, well you almost ready to go?"

"Yeah, just lemme brush my teeth and switch my jumper then we'll go." The Bradford man nodded and pecked Niall's cheek, murmuring a quick 'I love you' before leaving his lover to get ready.

***

Niall twiddled his thumbs as the couple hovered in the elevator to the maternity floor. In just nine months the blue-eyed man would be here holding his own baby. Would he deliver their child to him and Zayn or would he be alone, one of the other lads holding his hand in lieu of Zayn's? These thoughts plagued Niall's mind and he had to shake them away before they consumed him entirely. A firm hand grabbing his arm startled the Irish lad out of his wayward thoughts, making him jump slightly and glance at his boyfriend.

"Ni, this is our floor," Zayn murmured, eyes exploring his lover's features, perplexed at his change in demeanor recently. "Baby, are you sure you're okay?"

"I promise," Niall nodded, giving his lover a wavering smile before he stepped off the elevator. 

"Which room is he in?"

"Room 404," the brown-eyed man answered, eyes raking over Niall. The younger man had been off the last couple of weeks and it was beginning to worry Zayn. "It's down this hall."

Niall nodded and took his boyfriend's hand in his own before they traipsed down the hall, stopping in front of the hospital room. Niall gave Zayn a reassuring smile before he lightly rapped on the door and quietly stepped in.

"How's the new mummy?" Niall teased, smirking at the glare Harry shot him.

"Oi, I'm still his daddy, yeah," Harry snapped.

"Yeah, mate, but you delivered him, so you count as the mum," the blue-eyed man snickered.

"Can we not harass Haz, yeah? He just delivered barely an hour ago," came Louis' voice from   
where he sat perched at his boyfriend's side.

"Well, look who's Mr. Protective," Zayn chuckled, clapping a hand on the new father's shoulder.

"Alright, lads, leave the new parents alone," Liam spoke up from the doorway, a large white teddy bear and a bouquet of balloons in hand.

"Hey, Li," Harry greeted tiredly, fatigue setting in from the twenty-two hour labor. "When'd you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago," Liam answered, stepping into the room and setting the gifts next to the collection of stuffed animals and balloons. "How are you feeling?"

"M'sore," the curly-brunette mumbled, adjusting baby Isaac in his arms, smiling tiredly as his baby boy grunted at the movement and then yawned, facing scrunching up like Louis'. "But this little guy was totally worth it."

Watching Harry interact with his newborn son made him wonder how Zayn would be with their child, granted Zayn would stay with Niall after he told him. The fact that he was pregnant was stressing the Irish lad out. He read somewhere that stress could cause miscarriages and that's the last thing Niall wanted to happen. Having a baby right now may not seem like the most appropriate time, but miscarrying would be terrible. It'd send the Irish man into a spiraling depression. Niall gasped lightly at the horrible thoughts, hand flying up to his flat stomach. He quickly dropped his hand before either of the boys noticed, praying that none of them did and tried to tune back into the conversation. He needed to tell Zayn before his secret before it ate him alive.

"...sleep alone?" Niall had caught the last of Liam's sentence.

"Well, not for the first 3 months of course," Louis answered, gazing down at his son. "We're going to try and get him on a schedule and then slowly migrate him to his own room. Although, I think that's gonna be a bit tricky since we just started tour and we'll be on the road most of the time."

Liam nodded in understanding. Isaac would have to get used to tour life, at least for the next six months. Management had to juggle around their tour dates just so Harry would have time after he delivered to adjust to life as a parent as well as get back in the routine of performing, too. It would be a difficult next six months, but Harry and Louis were certain they could handle it.  
"That's a good plan, mate," Liam agreed, smiling fondly at the new family.

"Surely, Isaac's not going to be the only One Direction baby, right, Zayn and Niall?" Harry teased, having caught Niall's little slip up earlier. "When are you two going to have one of your own?"

Niall's eyes went wide, frantic eyes flashing to Zayn whose expression remained impassive. Did Zayn not want a baby? Is that what his facial features were silently telling Niall and the rest of the lads? All the times children were mentioned among the five men, the Bradford boy always shrugged it off with snide comments, simply telling interviewers and curious fans that children wasn't a top priority for him at the moment; that their lives were too hectic for babies. Niall laughed it off each time, going along with his boyfriend's opinion when in reality he was crushed. He had hoped one day he and Zayn would start a family. Maybe when their lives had settled down a bit or they had a yearlong break. Never in a million years did the Irish man believe they'd be starting their family a little earlier than expected.

"Are you mental, Hazza?" Zayn laughed. "You and Lou _just_ had a baby plus we just started touring again. There's no time for children."

Harry pursed his lips, noticing the way Niall tensed at his boyfriend's response. The Cheshire lad knew what was going on, he just wondered how long Niall had been keeping the secret; wondered how long he would _keep_ the secret from all of them. Now wasn't the time to question the Irish man, apprehensive of the uproar it could cause between Niall and Zayn. Harry could never live it down if he was the reason the two broke up.

"Hey, Ni, you wanna hold Isaac?" Harry offered with a comforting smile, hoping the change in topic would ease the older male.

"Oh, no, I'm good, Haz, thanks. He's tiny, yeah, I might break him," Niall laughed although it didn't reach his eyes.

"You're great with babies, Niall. You didn't have an issue holding Theo when he was born," the new daddy insisted. "C'mon, hold him."

The blonde man fiddled with his thumbs, letting out a shaky sigh as he nodded and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge near Harry's legs. The Cheshire lad smiled warmly as he leaned forward with Louis' help and placed the sleeping infant into the Irish man's arms. Niall instantly fell in love with the adorable infant. He couldn't wait to hold his own; watch them smile for the first time, watch them laugh and take their first steps. A baby was a precious gift no matter how inconvenient the timing was.

"He's so little," Niall murmured, never taking his eyes off Isaac's cherub face.

Zayn couldn't stop himself from swooning over the sight in front of him. His boyfriend looked incredibly good with a baby. He often wondered if Niall wanted children someday. The younger male never mentioned anything about children and it made the Bradford boy worry for their relationship. What if Niall left him because Zayn wanted a baby and Niall didn't? What if their spark died because of that one discrepancy? Zayn couldn't lose his Niall. He wouldn't lose his Niall.

"I think you should get some rest, Hazza. You've had a long day," Liam spoke up, breaking the tender moment between Niall and the newborn. Leave it to Daddy Direction to always look out for his bandmates.

"Li's right," Louis hummed. "Harry should get some rest."

"We'll come back tomorrow," Niall agreed, placing the baby in his cot. "Congrats, you two, he's gorgeous."

"Thanks, mate," Lou smiled, climbing off the bed to walk the lads to the door.

"You have your phone, Ni?" Harry asked suddenly, catching the Irish lad before he left the room.

"Yeah," he nodded, pulling the phone out of the back pocket of his skinnies and waving it for good measure.

"Good, keep it close, yeah," Harry whispered, eyes falling heavy. Niall furrowed his brows but agreed before he left with his boyfriend. Even at twenty-one, Harry Styles managed to puzzle the Irish lad.

The moment the men were out of the hospital, Zayn curled his arm around Niall's waist, peppering kisses against his neck. "What's going on with you, babe?"

"Nothing, love, m'fine," Niall brushed Zayn off, peeling his hand away from his growing waist. He was terrified Zayn would feel the ever-growing bump and start questioning him. Having an argument in a hospital parking lot for the world to hear was the last thing Niall wanted happening.

Zayn felt wounded, almost rejected at his lover's movement. Had he done something wrong? He couldn't quite place his boyfriend's current turmoil but he was determined to get to the bottom of it. It wasn't like the brown-eyed man to pry into his lover's business, but if that's what had to be done to figure out Niall's sudden lackadaisical persona, then so be it.

"No, it's not nothing, Niall!" The Bradford man exclaimed, Niall flinching at Zayn's harsh tone. 

"For the last few weeks you've been distant, not to mention vomiting every bloody hour. Are you terminally ill, Ni? Is that what you're not telling me? Baby, if that's it, we can wo--

"I'm not sick, Zayn," Niall quickly cut in. "Everything is fine. I just..." the Irish man sighed, wringing his hands together as he stared at his white Supras. "I need to be alone." The younger male pursed his lips and felt his heart drop when he finally glanced up and saw his boyfriend's wounded expression. "I'll see you at home," Niall whispered, pecking his lover's cheek before turning on his heel and heading down the street.

The Irish man just needed time to think or he was going to go insane. He was sure Zayn would leave him once he knew and Niall just wasn't ready to accept that yet. The blonde man found himself at Liam's doorstep a few hours later, pleading with the Wolverhampton man not to call  
Zayn and tell him where he'd be staying for a couple of days. He didn't want to face his boyfriend; didn't want to face the reality of being a single parent.

"Ni, he's been calling nonstop," Liam told him, entering the spare bedroom and handing the pregnant man a mug of ginger tea. "S'not like you and Zayn to fight like this."

"We didn't get in a fight, Liam. I'm running away from my problems," Niall mumbled, thankfully accepting the tea and curling deeper into the mountain of blankets.

"Since when was running the solution, Ni?"

"It's never been," the Irish lad groaned.

"Then why're you running?"

"M'not running, Li," Niall defended bitterly.

"Oh, yeah? You've been living with me and avoiding Zayn for a month."

"S'complicated, Li," Niall teared up, handing rubbing his growing bump.

"I'm sure I can keep up," Liam sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and trying to pull the blankets away from Niall's face. "You know you can talk to me about anything, Niall."

"I don't want to talk about it, Li," Niall grumbled. "Thanks for the tea."

"Don't mention it. Just get some rest, yeah?" Liam smiled slightly, making sure Niall was okay before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

The Mullingar man new Liam was good for resolving situations when the shit hit the fan, but he also knew the Wolverhampton man wouldn't leave Niall alone if he found out he was pregnant. He'd definitely be Daddy Direction, babying him until he practically delivered all the while dropping hints to Zayn whilst getting Niall to tell the brown-eyed man. He wasn't ready to face that side of the bridge yet.

Niall had just about reached a deep slumber when a loud shrill pierced the calming silence and the Irish man's phone flashed in the dark. Niall grumbled to himself, mumbling obscenities at the device as he snatched the phone off the bedside table and read the message.

-You've gotta tell him Ni-

_-tell him what Haz?-_

-Oh come off it Niall. Liam just called me. Told me something was off about you. You know exactly what I'm talking about-

_-I can't tell him Haz-_

-Why not?-

_-He'll leave me-_

-Are you bloody mental, Ni?! Z won't leave you. He loves you.-

_-He won't after he finds out-_

-Bullshit. I thought the same w/Lou but look how that turned out...-

_-Sigh. I will eventually =/-_

-Just make sure you tell him before you pop, ya?-

_-G'night Haz-_

-Night Niall. Everything will work out. Promise-  
Niall shut off the ringer this time. He didn't want to be bothered anymore. Zayn's contact caught the blonde's eye just as he went to exit out of the messaging app, heart dropping at the many texts he had ignored.

-when will you be home?-

-where are you baby?-

-Niall I'm getting worried-

-NIALL!-

-Baby answer me please!-

-Did I do something?-

-You don't have to give me an explanation but at least tell me you're okay =/-

-Ni?-

-Baby?-

-Please...-

-Alright. Have a goodnight. I love you.-

Niall couldn't impede the tears that trickled down his cheeks. He was doing Zayn wrong. So, so wrong. He didn't deserve this treatment. But then again, he wasn't sure how Zayn would react once he told him. The blonde man was at a loss. If he didn't make a decision soon, he'd lose the Bradford man altogether.

3 months later...

It had become more difficult to hide his bump than the Irish lad presumed. Now at six months, Niall's belly rounded out and was slightly larger than a volleyball. He was thankful his third trimester was leading into winter so wearing jumpers wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

After that conversation with Harry that night, Niall went home, apologizing to his boyfriend for being distant and hoping that it didn't change anything between them. Zayn had broken down, sobbing into Niall's neck, telling him it didn't matter as long as Niall never left him like that again. It broke the blue-eyed man's heart seeing how broken the brown-eyed man was and knowing that Niall was at fault for putting the heartache there.

The blonde man knew he had to tell Zayn eventually because his refusal of sex wasn't going unnoticed. Niall sighed as he put his bowl of soup into the microwave, idly rubbing his belly as he felt their child within tumble around.

"Are you hungry, bug?" Niall chuckled, getting a light kick in response. "The food is warming, just be patient."

Niall had yet to figure out the gender, wanting to be surprised when he delivered. Niall was overwhelmed with everything already; keeping the huge secret from his boyfriend, managing his stress since he wasn't out of his second trimester quite yet, and the fact that they were still touring. Their next show wasn't for another few weeks and the Irish man had yet to figure out his wardrobe for that. His usual scoop tees and tanks with skinnies were going to be an issue considering his bump would be on display. To top it all off, their child was due in three months and the blonde didn't have anything for the baby, not even a single outfit.

"Oh, bug, what would your daddy say? I don't even know if he wants a baby," the Irish lad whispered, tears pricking his eyes.

A rush of dizziness suddenly washed over Niall and he stuttered backwards, expecting the fall that never came, a pair of strong arms catching him instead. Everything felt tunneled at the moment, a husky, panicked voice pleading with Niall to answer it. The voice was so far away, hazy. Niall's first intention was to protect the life growing beneath his heart, arms quickly curling around his large belly.

"Niall! Baby, answer me," Zayn exclaimed, half holding, half dragging his boyfriend to the kitchen table and making sure the blonde man wouldn't topple over before rushing to grab a bottle of water from the icebox, dropping to his knees so he was at eye level with his pale boyfriend. "Niall, sweetheart, drink some water, here," Zayn urged, untwisting the cap and placing the neck of the bottle to his lips and helped Niall sip.

Niall blinked a few times, eyes finally coming into focus. "Z?"

"Yeah, baby, m'right here," the brown-eyed man assured, stroking his lover's cheek. "Are you okay? I walked in and you were going down, Ni."

How was Niall supposed to keep his secret now? Surely, Zayn had to have seen something, right? Maybe his jumper rose just slightly and he caught a glimpse of his belly? Or he heard the Irish man talk to their baby. And yet, there was no deceit or disappointment in his lover's eyes, just pure terror and apprehension. How could he tell Zayn he was okay, now? If he denied everything, he was certain the brown-eyed man would force him to go to the hospital and get checked out, having no choice but to tell the older male he was pregnant.

"Zayn," Niall whimpered, tears pooling into his eyes as he peered into topaz eyes. "I'm s-so sor-ry."

"No, baby, no, please don't cry," Zayn hushed him gently, pulling a chair in front of his Niall and sitting down. He cupped Niall's cheeks, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. "What's gotten you so upset, love?"

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he shook his head. "I c-can't...you'll... I..." Niall hiccupped, putting himself into a panic attack.

"Ni, love, calm down," Zayn murmured, thumbing away the tears as he stroked his face. "Use your words, baby."

And that was just it. Zayn had used that word. He was terrified for his boyfriend's reaction. He had withheld this secret for six months now. If Zayn wasn't pissed that he was pregnant, surely he'd be livid that Niall had waited this long to tell him,

"B-Baby..." Niall stuttered, gripping the hem of his black jumper.

"Yes, sweetheart, what's gotten you in a tizzy?"

 _Here goes nothing,_ Niall thought as he tightened his grip on the dark fabric and slowly pulled it up, revealing a swollen belly. "I-I'm pregnant, Z."

Zayn was speechless, eyes staring at the pale, round flesh. His words weren't registering to the brown-eyed man. Niall took his boyfriend's silence negatively and quickly dropped his jumper, obscuring his belly from view. He struggled to get out of the chair, nearly falling over before he regained his balance and waddled to their bedroom, slamming the door in his wake. Niall dropped to his knees and sobbed, face buried in his hands.

The pregnant lad knew this would happen. Children weren't for Zayn. Niall just went and dropped a bombshell and he was certain his boyfriend would want him out of the house. Niall sniffled and grabbed the wall for support, standing on shaky legs. The baby kicked at him, not liking their daddy's mood.

"Don't worry, bug, I won't let anyone hurt you," Niall whispered. He knew Zayn wouldn't try anything, he wasn't a violent person, but then again telling someone you're pregnant could provoke anyone. The younger male waddled to his closet and grabbed his blue duffle, tossing it to the bed before he toddled to his dresser and started piling his clothes into the bag. Niall was due in three months, maybe less, but he could easily find a place to live and raise his baby. It's not like he didn't have the money to buy his own flat or hire someone to construct a nursery for him, he just wished he'd get the opportunity to do it all with Zayn.

Niall didn't notice the brown-eyed man standing in the doorway until he made a move for the closet. "I'll be out of the flat in just a minute. I'm almost done," he whispered, moving past his soon-to-be ex and grabbing a few jumpers off their hangers.

"Whoa, what?" Zayn gasped, putting everything together; the half-packed duffle bag, Niall waddling in and out of the closet with piles of clothes. "Niall, wait a minute, hold on!" Zayn was panicking. The poor lad thought he was kicking him out of the house.

"I'm sorry, Z, I really am," the blonde man croaked, voice cracking. He wouldn't dare chance a glance at the Bradford man, fearing what expression would be on his face. He twiddled his thumbs, eyes burning with fresh tears. "I kn-know you don't w-want kids and we just st-started tour b-but—

A pair of lips silenced Niall's stuttered reply, the Irish lad's breathing hitching at the unexpected affection. When did Zayn even cross the room and into the closet? So many thoughts infiltrated Niall's mind, but the feel of his boyfriend's lips against his left his brain a pile of mush.

Zayn broke the kiss, caressing Niall's cheeks, collecting the tears with his thumbs. "Is this why you've been so distant; why you were gone that month, refusing to have sex with me...?"

"I'm sorry, Z, I—

"No more apologies, Ni," Zayn soothed, hands dropping to cup Niall's swollen belly. "We're having a baby."

"Y-Yeah, in three months, maybe less to be exact," the Mullingar male choked out a laugh, eyes going wide when he realized what Zayn had implied. "Wait a minute. Did you say 'we'?"

"Well, yeah, it takes two to tango, doesn't it?" Zayn chuckled. "You didn't get into this mess on your own."

Niall let out a watery laugh, placing his hands over Zayn's resting on his belly. "Well, then yeah, we're having a baby."

"Oh, love, why didn't you tell me?" Zayn frowned, slowly pulling the clothes out of Niall's hand and letting them drop to the floor before taking his boyfriend's hand and leading him to the bed.  
"I was afraid," Niall finally answered, eyes pooling with tears again.

It was breaking Zayn's heart seeing the pregnant lad so upset. He knew his boyfriend was emotional and would be for the next few months, but seeing the tears trickle down the younger's face pulled at his heart strings. The Bradford man wanted nothing more but to hold his boyfriend and will the tears away; show him everything would be alright.

And that's what the brown-eyed man did. He maneuvered the two until they were spooning, Zayn's arms wrapped securely around his Irish lover, hands delving beneath the jumper and stroking Niall's overheated tummy. Niall just lay there, placing his hands over Zayn's and sobbed; sobbed from the months of keeping the secret from him, sobbed from the heartache of believing he'd be alone, and sobbed because every negative thought was finally put to rest.

Zayn let his boyfriend cry, occasionally pressing tender kisses to his temple, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, willing his lover to calm down. "Come on, Ni, no more tears. It's gonna be okay. Shh, that's it, love."

Niall let out a deep breath, sniffling as he turned in his boyfriend's arms. "Z?"  
"Yes, baby, I'm right here," the brown-eyed man coed, running one of his hands through Niall's bleached hair.

"You want this baby?" It's not like Niall could just get rid of the child--not that Niall would, but he needed to start making plans if Zayn didn't want to be a part of the child's life.

"Of course I do, Ni!" Zayn exclaimed, smile gracing his lips. "Why wouldn't I, love? He or she is a part of us, Ni. I know they've decided to show up at an inconvenient time, but we can handle it, yeah?"

Hearing those words lifted all the weight from Niall's shoulder. He wouldn't be alone in this; he'd have someone to fall back on, someone to hold his hand when he went into labor, someone to help name their baby and bring them home; someone to show the world how much they love each other. He and Zayn would be a family. Niall nodded frantically, bringing Zayn's lips to his, kissing his lover deeply, pouring all his passion and love into the kiss.

Zayn happily obliged, curling a hand around the back of the blonde's neck, pulling him flush against his body. "Love you, Ni."

"I love you, too, Z," Niall murmured against Zayn's lips, breaking away to peer into the golden brown eyes he fell in love with nearly four years ago.

Zayn smiled warmly at his pregnant lover, idly caressing his swollen belly. "Do you know what we're having?"

Niall's face instantly fell and Zayn was ready to panic again. "Erm...no. I d-didn't want to share that experience without you."

The brown-eyed man's heart swelled albeit bitter circumstances. "Oh, baby."

"None of that matters now, right?" Niall quickly asked, eyes searching Zayn's for any false bravado. "We can still find out the gender..."

"Of course we can, Ni. We can make an appointment first thing in the morning."

"What about the nursery?"

"And after the appointment, we can go shopping and get started on the nursery for the little one," Zayn answered, rubbing Niall's tummy.

The Irish lad smiled giddily, snuggling closer to his boyfriend and tucking his head beneath Zayn's chin. The brown-eyed man wrapped his arms around his pregnant boyfriend and pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead, "You should have just told me when you first found out, love," Zayn said after a moment.

Niall let out a heavy sigh as he drew blank patterns against his tummy. "I didn't know if you wanted a baby, Z. Plus, you said we didn't have time for children."

Zayn frowned, recalling what he said when they visited Isaac in the hospital. "I didn't mean it personally, Niall. Had I known you were pregnant, I would have never said anything."

"But you did say it, Z," the Irish lad sighed.

"I mean, come on, babe, think about it," Zayn sighed, staring at the ceiling as he tightened his hold around Niall. "We _don't_ have time for a baby."

Niall's eyes welled with tears again, trying his best not to let Zayn see. Was he taking everything back? "You don't want this baby..."

"No, God no, Ni, I never said that," the older male murmured. "I _do_ want this baby. Please believe me when I say that."

"But you said..."

"I know what I said, baby. We really _don'_ t have time for a baby, but we're going to make it work. Harry and Louis have made it work with raising Isaac, so I know we can make it work, too."

Niall sniffled and wiped his eyes, nodding at his boyfriend's words. "We can do this?"

Zayn tilted his head to gaze into his lover's eyes. "We can do this."


	2. Miach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Your stomach's hardened, love," Zayn noted with a grimace. "Is that normal?"
> 
> Niall's eyes widened at his boyfriend's statement and gripped Zayn's hand, remembering Harry mentioning something about his stomach hardening when he started labor. "Oh my god, Z, it’s the first stage of labor!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is part 2 for all you lovelies who wanted a second part!
> 
> I'm sorry if this isn't what you guys wanted but I had an idea and I just rolled with it!! :D I actually loved writing this scene! The entire time I was putting it together, I had this shit-eating grin on my face! So I hope you enjoy this just as much as I do! 
> 
> Ta ta for now my loves! :)
> 
> OHH! And thanks to lovely Fuzzyslippers I now know how to do links so BOOM! Here's [Baby Miach and Niall!](http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/niall-horan-shares-another-picture-of-his-baby-nephew-and-reveals-his-name__oPt.jpg)

Niall waddled into the kitchen and went straight for the icebox. He was craving pistachio ice cream with pickles, maybe top it off with some peanut butter. Lately their son had been craving the craziest of combinations. Whether it be watermelon and maple syrup to dipping strawberries in ranch. Zayn would cringe at the kooky meals but nevertheless, if it was what Niall and their son wanted, then it was what they were going to get.

"Damn," Niall sighed when he opened the ice box and found no traces of his ice cream. "I think we ate it all, bug," Niall murmured to his eighth month bump, rubbing his swollen belly. He giggled when their son pushed out against his hand. "Can't wait to meet you, too, baby boy."

"I can't wait either," came a husky voice from the kitchen doorway. Niall jumped slightly but easily relaxed when his boyfriend stepped up to him, curling his arms around the Irish lad's expanding waist. "So perfect...."

"M'not perfect," Niall mumbled into Zayn's shoulder. "I'm huge and moody and gross. Harry didn't tell me pregnancy would come with swollen limbs and mood swings."

"Say what you want, Ni, you're always going to be perfect to me Zayn answered softly, rubbing his lover's sides. 

Niall's eyes welled with tears and he glanced down at Zayn's hands on his belly. He'd blame the hormones later but he couldn't stop the tears that rolled down his cheeks. "I don't de-hiccup-serve you." 

"Hey, hey now," Zayn whispered, hands coming up to cup his cheeks. He pressed his lips against Niall's before gazing into his eyes. "You deserve every bit of me and nothing less. We're meant for each other and that's why we've got this precious little gift on the way. I don't want you to ever think that you don't deserve me, Niall," Zayn professed.

If the kiss wasn't enough, it was Zayn's affirmation that sent Niall into a fit of sobs. The public would mistaken his tears for upset but they were tears of devotion and utter love for his boyfriend. 

Niall sniffled and wrapped his arms around Zayn's neck, pulling the Bradford boy as close as their son would allow. "I love you, Z. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't accept my pregnancy two months ago."

"I love you, too, Nialler. I'd never leave you alone in this, you know that."

Niall sniffled and buried his face in Zayn's neck as he tried to will his breathing back to normal.

The Bradford man rubbed Niall's back before leading him toward the living room and easing him down onto the couch. He draped Niall's favorite blanket over his body and pecked his lips before flicking on the Telly and finding a movie for them to watch. 

Niall snuggled against his lover, interlacing their fingers together and placing them over his bump. Their son sensed the warmth and wiggled, a tiny foot kicking at their entwined hands. Niall giggled and pressed against the spot letting his son know he had their attention. Zayn smiled at the sweet moment and peppered soothing kisses all over Niall's face, murmuring the lyrics of 'Your Guardian Angel' by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus to punctuate each kiss as he watched Niall relax further into the couch. Zayn was relieved to see his heavily pregnant boyfriend finally relax. The past two months had been chaotic. With Niall's mood swings and scrambling to get the nursery together life hadn't been easy for either man.

A week after Zayn had found out about Niall's pregnancy, he spent the majority of the time in the nursery painting the baby's walls with music notes. Their son would sleep in a mahogany crib with navy blue bedding and notes scattered across the walls. When the two picked out a name each letter would go in each note. Niall had come up with that idea after he begged Zayn one day to give him a hint on what their son’s nursery them would be. After that, Zayn told Niall he wasn’t allowed in to see the nursery until they brought their son home.

Unfortunately Niall took that instruction a different way, claiming that Zayn kept himself cooped up in the baby's room because he didn't want to see Niall anymore; that he was disgusted by his chubby cheeks and flabby arms. That seeing half-painted walls was better than watching his boyfriend swell to the size of a blimp. As many times as Zayn told Niall that that wasn’t’ the case; that he was trying to get the nursery done in time for the baby shower, the pregnant lad refused to believe it. Day after day it was the same remarks and Zayn had become incredibly frustrated with Niall's mood swings and rubbish accusations that he had accidentally snapped at the Irish man and all hell broke loose then.

Niall was on another rant about Zayn not wanting their child and spending too much time in the nursery. Half of the time, Niall’s rambling didn’t make sense and that only seemed to frustrate Zayn more. The Bradford man had sighed, telling Niall yet again that he was trying to get it done before the baby shower. 'Bullshit,' Niall had spat at him and then Zayn lost it.

'You know what, Niall? I'm beginning to think you want to hear those words from me! That I don't love you, that I don't want this baby, that I find you utterly repulsive when we BOTH know that is the farthest from the truth! And yet you keep on going with this crock of shit and for what Niall? Everything out of your mouth is bullshit. I love you and I love this baby but if you can't see that, then I don't want to see you.'

And god, Zayn regretted those words to this day. He'll never forget the terror on Niall's face when those words left his mouth. It had felt like Zayn slapped Niall across the face at those words. Everything they spent months preparing for was coming to an abrupt halt—or so Niall thought. Zayn had spluttered out an apology but it was already too late. ‘Fuck you, Zayn,’ the pregnant man had hissed before he hastily waddled out of the living room, taking the stairs up to their bedroom as fast as he could with a large belly. He had rummaged through his closet looking for a duffle bag to throw his clothes into.

Zayn was at a standstill seeing the duffle bag and Niall waddling back and forth between the bed and closet. The Bradford man pleaded, even got down on his knees and grabbed Niall’s hand practically crying to him that he didn't mean those words; that he was only frustrated with the situation. Niall refused to listen to Zayn’s feeble plea, mumbled a 'get out of my way, Zayn.' And that was that. He watched Niall grab his car keys and disappear into the garage. That night, the Bradford man swore he had lost his Niall and child.

The following week after that, there was so much tension between the band members. Rehearsals were stiff and uncomfortable, the atmosphere so uninviting that Harry had to step out of the room a few times before he too started screaming. Liam was concerned that all this anxiety would send Niall into premature labor. Louis tried to remain neutral during the situation but ended up scolding Zayn about opening his mouth and spewing out ridiculous shit to an overly hormonal Niall. And to top it all off, communication was the key factor to composing and recording their music but Niall would barely speak a word to his boyfriend. Niall wouldn't even chance a glance at Zayn when they were in the studio, strictly talking to everyone but the father of his baby. 

This went on for another two weeks until one night the Irish lad couldn't take it anymore and came home in the middle of the night. He walked the 10 blocks back to their home, foregoing his car for fresh air. Niall had pounded on the door until Zayn answered, hair up and end with a frazzled expression. Niall had sobbed into Zayn’s chest, clutching onto him as if his life depended on it. The pregnant lad had missed Zayn so much that he was going mad with loneliness. When he thought he could take care of a baby on his own, everything came spiraling down. He had slipped on the first pair of shoes he found and left the hotel without thought. Niall hadn’t cared that the weather had dropped twenty degrees, Niall just knew he needed to get back to his lover. The Irish lad was terrified that Zayn wouldn’t take him back, sobbing relentlessly against Zayn and begging to take him back. He had blamed everything on himself, claiming that it was his hormones and that he honestly couldn't raise this baby on his own. 

It tore at the older man’s heart seeing how distraught and broken his boyfriend was. There was only one way that would calm Niall down, show him that he was still loved and that Zayn would never let him go again. Zayn had simply wiped Niall’s tears whispering sweet nothings into his ear as he led Niall into the bedroom. Kisses and saccharine words wouldn’t have been enough that night.

That was two months ago and luckily there hadn't been any episodes since and Zayn was grateful for that. Occasionally there would be those bound of fits that Niall would have about his weight gain but Zayn was quickly to quash Niall’s fret with tender kisses and hushed words. Zayn swore he’d spend the rest of his life showing Niall just how beautiful he truly was and that Zayn would always love him.

***

Niall sighed into the warm water as the jets worked the kinks and tension out of his lower back. If he could stay in his Jacuzzi-sized tub forever, he could die happy. His belly had been upset since he woke this morning, the Braxton Hicks occurring more than he'd enjoy. 

"Nialler?" Zayn called from their bedroom, setting the numerous Babies R Us bags on the floor and heading toward the bathroom when he heard the sloshing of water. "Hey, baby, what you doing in here?"

"My stomach's been hurting all morning," he sighed, rubbing his belly in a desperate hope to calm their wiggling son. 

Zayn frowned at that, peeling off his shoes and kneeling beside the tub, putting his arm in the water and rubbing Niall's belly. "Your stomach's hardened, love," Zayn noted with a grimace. "Is that normal?"

Niall's eyes widened at his boyfriend's statement and gripped Zayn's hand, remembering Harry mentioning something about his stomach hardening when he started labor. "Oh my god, Z, it’s the first stage of labor!”

Zayn gasped, eyes wide and fish-mouthing as he stared at Niall. "Fuck, Niall, and you’ve had stomach pains all morning?" 

"Yes but that doesn't me--" Niall's eyes widened again when everything clicked together. 

"Ni, you've prolly been in labor all morning."

"No... I w-would have known! I'm n-not in labor, Zayn!" Niall fret as he turned off the jets and grabbed the walls of the tub to try and hoist himself out of the deep bathtub. "Z, help me out of the tub. We need to go to the hospital."

The Bradford man nodded and reached for Niall only to have the Irish lad yelp like a kicked dog and collapse back into the water, Zayn making sure Niall didn’t hurt himself or their baby. "F-fuck..."

"Ni?" 

"Z, y-you've gotta check my dilation," Niall panted as the pain coursed through his middle and found its way to his spine, their son wiggling down the canal, the pregnant lad gasping as he could feel his hips expand to aid in delivery.

Zayn stared at Niall as if he had grown two heads. The Bradford man didn’t know how to check dilation, let alone deliver a kid! That’s what they were going to go to the hospital for. That’s why they were going to spends thousands so Niall and their son were taken care of by professionals. "What!? Ni, I don't know how to check for that! M'gonna call 999." Zayn made a move to get up but Niall seized his wrist as shook his head as he groaned through another contraction before he spoke again.

"Z, m’not gonna make it to the hospital. He’s coming fast, babe. He could be here sooner than we thought," Niall explained through clenched teeth staring at his lover with frantic, pleading eyes.

Zayn didn't know what the best solution was; call 999 or listen to his boyfriend. Zayn had constantly thought over the day when their son would be born; that everything would go as planned, that Niall would have an epidural and their son would be born in a hospital safe and sound. This was the farthest from Zayn’s thoughts; being at home, medication free and having Niall deliver their son in their bathroom. 

"Okay, Niall, alright. Wh-What do I do?" Zayn sighed with a hesitant smile, caressing Niall's cheek. 

"Thank you," he huffed, grabbing Zayn's hand and guiding it to his entrance. "You check for dilation just like you'd stretch me for your cock."

Zayn nearly choked on his words at his lover’s bluntness earning a strained giggle from Niall. Zayn let out a shaky breath and poised two fingers at Niall’s hole and slipped them in, pulling a pained hiss from Niall. Labor was making his entire body ache, even his entrance. "Wh-What am I searching for, Nialler?"

"The books say you're supposed to feel for the contraction of my walls and the skull of the baby..."

Zayn chewed on his lip in concentration as he felt around Niall's walls as carefully as he could and gasping when he felt the mush of skull. He pulled his hand out slowly, cringing at his bloody fingers. "He's maybe a third of the way from your opening, babe." 

The Irish lad nodded and pursed his lips before letting his legs relax. "I'm about six maybe seven centimeters along then."

"Good, then we can get you to the hospital, Ni,” Zayn said quickly, reaching for Niall only to have the Irish lad shake his head and push Zayn’s hands away.

"I don’t wanna move, Zayn, I’m in too much pain. Plus, the water feels nice and its easing some of the pain on my back." Niall stated, rubbing the underside of his belly. 

Internally Zayn was panicking. He needed to know his son would be delivered healthy. This was their first child and anything could happen during delivery. Niall could lose blood, the cord wrapped around the baby’s neck. Zayn wanted to take priority over this situation and call 999 but if lying in this tub and having their son here was what Niall wanted, who was Zayn to go against that? 

Niall saw the apprehension in his lover’s eyes and grabbed Zayn’s arm, tugging him closer so he could press his lips against Zayn’s. “Everything’s going to be okay, Z, I promise. I’ve been thinking about a homebirth for awhile, actually. I thought I had more time to make my final decision but I guess our son’s decided where he wants to be born.” 

Zayn tried to swallow his nerves at Niall’s words but the anxiety of this situation wasn’t helping matters. "Are you this is what you want, Ni? To have our baby at home?" Zayn questioned carding his hand through the Irish man's damp hair. 

Niall giggled and pecked Zayn’s lips before nodding. “Well, s’not like I have a choice now, babe. Ready or not, our son is going to be born in our bathroom.”

Zayn hummed in response and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Lemme at least call the lads, yeah? Maybe Harry can help with the delivery since he's had his own."

Niall opened his mouth to respond but the searing pain in his belly yanked that away as he grabbed Zayn's hand and cried out, trying to breathe through the contraction.

"Breathe, baby. Remember the books, yeah. Focus on me, focus on my voice. You’re so amazing for going through all this just to meet our son, love," Zayn vowed, pressing his lips to Niall's temple as he felt Niall squeeze his hand tighter.

Niall let out a shuttering breath when the contraction subsided and he opened his eyes, exploring his boyfriend’s features as he tried to relax into the water. “Jesus, that was a long one.”

“Does that mean he’s close?”

“Yeah, I think so. I /hope/ so.”

Zayn chuckled and sat along the length of the tub, holding Niall’s hand and resting his head against the Irish’s bare shoulder. “You know we still haven’t found a name for him.”

Niall stared at the pinkish water as he pondered the few names he had come across in the last few months. “I really like Miach because it means honorable and proud and it's Irish," Niall whispered, feeling like all the energy had been drained from his body.

"I like that. I like that a lot actually," Zayn beamed. "How about Azhar for his middle name? It means bright and intelligent. It’d be a perfect combination for our son."

"Miach Azhar Malik," Niall confirmed. "That's a strong name."

"It is," Zayn agreed. "M'gonna go call the lads, I'll be right back, yeah?"

"Okay," Niall whispered, slipping his hand out of Zayn’s as he shut his eyes and tried to relax the best he could while in labor. 

Within fifteen minutes, the rest of One Direction had arrived as well as baby Isaac, the little Tommo terror now eight months old and crawling on every surface. The lads had to proof the house now that he was mobile. Harry blames it on his husband’s genes, claiming that Isaac’s just as curious about life as Louis was when he was a child.

"How's he doing?" Harry asked, already handing Isaac to Louis and making a beeline for the stairs.

"Contractions aren't timed correctly and he's had maybe 10 total."

"Okay, m'gonna go check on him," Harry said, darting up the steps and into the bathroom, finding Niall on his hands and knees in the tub rocking back and forth as he let out strangled moans. "Hey, Ni," Harry spoke softly, kneeling by the tub and rubbing his back. "How you doing, mate?"

"I don't know how the fuck you did this Haz, and why you're doing this again because this is total shite, mate!" Niall practically snapped, scrunching his eyes as another contraction tore his body apart. "Ahhh, FUCK!"

Harry's face paled at Niall's words. "You haven't told anyone right? Louis doesn't even know yet," Harry nearly cried. 

Niall waited for the contraction to end before he looked over to Harry and shook his head. "Not a soul, Haz, promise. When are you gonna tell him?"

"Soon, Ni, I promise. Trying to find a cute way to tell him," Harry smiled, placing his hand on his flat tummy. In eight months, he'd be going through this again. Maybe he'll try the water birth method this time around. He’s always been curious to try and deliver naturally.

Niall suddenly gasped, hands gripping the edge of the tub. "H-Harry go get Zayn… I think he's coming," the Irish lad managed to choke out. "H-Hur-RY!" 

Harry's eyes widened as he scrambled off the floor and ran to the bedroom doorway. "ZAYN! THE BABY’S COMING!"

Harry could hear footsteps trailing up the stairs before he even finished his sentence, Zayn stormed into the room and dropping to his knees next to Harry. In plain sight was a stick mess of hair breaching Niall’s entrance. “Holy shit…”

"Z-Zee," Niall choked out. "He's coming..."

"I know, baby, I see his head," Zayn whispered, rubbing Niall's lower back. 

Harry rolled up his pants and stepped into the tub, grabbing the fresh flannel and dabbing around Niall’s opening. "You're doing well Niall, the head's almost out. Big push for me."

Niall let in a deep breath and bore down, his knuckles going white at the death grip he had on the edges of the tub. This baby was splitting him in a half. He felt like someone took a torch to his hole as the baby stretched him further, the burning escalating to the point of intolerable. 

"Dead god, this isn't fucking happening again, Zayn!" Niall growled, shooting daggers at his lover.

"Okay, Nialler, no more babies..." Zayn agreed frantically, wiping the sweat from his lover's eyes. 

Niall let out a strangled scream when the head popped through, his body relaxing momentarily. "I need to change positions. This is getting uncomfortable...."

"Okay, Ni. Just slowly turn around, I’ve got the baby’s head so you don’t injure him in the process..." Harry answered, nodding to Zayn to assist Niall and situate himself on his back.

"I need to push," Niall warned before he lurched forward, grabbing the underside of his knees and bore down, teeth clenched as he felt his son move further into the world, the shoulders stretching him even worse.

"That's it, Ni, you're doing great!" Harry coached, tucking his thumbs under Miach's arms and pulling gently, Niall's voice going an octave higher as Harry pulled the baby free, blood and amniotic fluid staining the water. Niall gasped in surprise and collapsed against the back of the tub, watching Harry pull the bloody child out of the water. Miach was finally here.

Harry quickly set the baby on Niall's chest as he cleaned the mucus out of the boy’s mouth. The infant started wailing as the cold breeze touched his skin. "Oh, Niall he's beautiful,” Harry cried as he placed a fresh towel over Miach’s back, the baby’s cries simmering to whimpers.

“Hi, baby boy. Oh you’re so perfect, so beautiful,” Niall blubbered. Miach was a fairly large baby, most likely eight or nine pounds. The Irish lad tightened the towel around his newborn. He had waited nine long months for this faultless being and now he was finally here.

"Just let the nutrients from his umbilical cord flow why I find something to tie and cut the cord with. Congratulations you two," Harry smiled, stepping out of the bloody water and left the bathroom.

Niall wiped his eyes as he watched his son wrap his tiny fist around Zayn’s, the small gesture warming his heart. 

"Hey there, little one," Zayn whispered, eyes welling with tears again. "I'm your Aba."

Miach made a noise of content as he snuggled more into Niall's chest. He blinked up at his daddies, bleary hoary eyes meeting topaz and cobalt before he shut them again. Niall giggled at the small interaction, leaning down and pressing a loving kiss to his forehead.

"Welcome to the world, Miach."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone know how to add links and italicize certain words in here? Someone PLEASE PLEASE help me!!


End file.
